The present invention generally relates to methods of conducting collaboration sessions over the Internet and in particular, to a method and apparatus for conducting an interactive design conference over the Internet.
The Internet provides an ideal medium in which clients scattered around the world can interactively conduct a design collaboration session or conference in a cost effective manner. One problem with certain conventional methods of conducting design conferences, however, is that each client participating in the conference needs to run the same application program in order to view shared files. Another problem is that the application program generally needs to be run on the same platform. Still another problem is that shared files tend to be large and require considerable transmission time.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for conducting an interactive design conference over the Internet that does not require each client participating in the conference to run the same application program in order to view shared files.
Another object is to provide a method and apparatus for conducting an interactive design conference over the Internet that is platform independent.
Still another object is to provide a method and apparatus for conducting an interactive design conference over the Internet that minimizes the size and transmission time for shared files.
These and additional objects are accomplished by the various aspects of the present invention, wherein briefly stated, one aspect of the invention is a method of conducting an interactive design conference over the Internet, comprising: selectively admitting clients communicating through web browsers over the Internet to an interactive design conference; receiving a graphics file indicative of a design from one of the clients; and transmitting the graphics file to all of the clients so as to be viewable as a graphics image through graphics file readers in the web browsers.
In another aspect of the invention, an apparatus for conducting an interactive design conference over the Internet, comprises a web server programmed to establish a design conference including clients communicating through web browsers over the Internet, receive a graphics file indicative of a design from one of the clients; and transmit the graphics file to all of the clients so as to be viewable as a graphics image through graphics file readers in or invoked by the web browsers.
In yet another aspect of the invention, an apparatus for conducting an interactive application conference over the Internet, comprises a web client configured with an application page defining a display area for displaying a graphics image indicative of an application, and an annotation area for generating annotations of the graphics image; a snapshot program to generate upon command a graphics file corresponding to the graphics image, and transmit upon command the graphics file to a web server for retransmission over the Internet to other participants communicating through web browsers so as to translate the graphics file back into and display the graphics image; and a module to generate upon command annotations of the graphics image and transmit the annotations to the web server for retransmission over the Internet to the other participants configured with java applets cooperating with the web browsers so as to display the annotations over the graphics image.
Additional objects, features and advantages of the various aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of its preferred embodiments, which description should be taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.